Yuffie and Vinnie sitting near a tree
by Sophabelle
Summary: B.O.N.D.I.N.G! Vincent and Yuffie share a little moment.. and mess it up! My second rambly bit of writing ever.


Recognition of the bright yellow sneakers was immediately surpassed by the confusion of inadvertently finding her again. This wasn't the first time he had stumbled upon her alone. Curiosity claimed him, and he chanced a step closer to observe.

She was slouched at an angle in the tree, a grumpy pout and frown adorning her delicate features. Her legs whipped viciously back and forth, dislodging leaves – momentum increasing with each swing of her chunky shoes.

A niggling concern that she could actually propel herself from the branch, forced him to move further forward.

"You're looking rather shifty, Mr Valentine."

Vincent chewed his lip, the child-like worry hidden beneath layers of cloak.

He was a bad liar.

"I wasn't aware you had seen me" he admitted uncomfortably.

"I _heard_ you. Metal boots aren't exactly the quietest of footwear. Plus, I have ears like a hawk… has eyes…" The accusatory tone dissolved into a bewildered smirk at her own muddled statement.

He quirked an eyebrow.

Complacency lost, Yuffie redirected the conversation, holding a cheerful facade.

"A little out of practice in the art of sneaking, eh!"

"I didn't want to disturb…" he managed to mumble, before being cut off.

"How about a few tips on stealth, from a master ninja!" she shifted on the bough to strike a pose, leaning cockily against the tree trunk.

Vincent seated himself on the forest floor, preparing for a flurry of speech…which finished much quicker than he had anticipated.

"Or I could just sit with you?" She suggested. Shoulders sagged, but a hopeful half-grin slid up her cheek.

Masking his surprise, he nodded distantly to the spot next to him, where she plopped down unceremoniously.

They sat together, quietly.

He began to steal glances at her, puzzled by the lack of incessant chatter.

She appeared to be playing with fallen leaves – selecting them, and turning them over with long slim fingers.

He observed more intently as she stacked leaves into piles, and began threading them together by the stalks, in a quick graceful motion.

It relaxed him. Stoutly ignoring the compulsion to share this with her, he continued to watch, as the debris from the formerly assaulted tree transformed into a beautiful ring of green foliage…which was promptly plonked on his head.

"I made you a crown, Vinnie!" she giggled gleefully, adjusting it over his bandanna with such enthusiasm that a few leaves came loose and fluttered to the ground.

"I think I might break it." Vincent stared morosely at the fallen pieces.

She brushed a few strands of hair off his face, arranging it around the new head piece.

Their eyes locked, and her reply was coupled with a full scale Yuffie-grin –

"I trust you with my handiwork!"

His eyes softened, ever so slightly. But she had already flopped onto her back – trying to keep a leaf afloat by gently blowing upwards.

A small smiled tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he slowly lowered to join her on the ground, gazing up at the maze of tree tops.

They lay together, in comfortable silence.

He wondered briefly if she had fallen asleep in his company.

Paranoia pulled his eyes over to her face. She beamed back at him, grey eyes sparkling in threads of sunlight woven through the trees.

A jumble of compliments, that shyness forbade him from voicing, swirled around his head. His brow furrowed in uncertainty.

Noticing some inner turmoil, Yuffie rose slightly to kneel beside him, softly touching a hunched shoulder.

He flinched, the contact jolting him from a world of thoughts.

She bolted.

"I oughta head back to camp now Vincent. Teef'll be missing my lovable persona, and I can see Spikey getting sliced by a Head Hunter without the protection of the Great Ninja Yuffie!"

She leapt up, flashing him a quick, unsure smile, and began jogging back.

He bit his lip as her small form disappeared into the Mideelian undergrowth, leaving him with a leafy head-dress and completely new perspective.


End file.
